Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) said today that it has finalised a new Research Excellence Framework (REF) set to be piloted in 10 universities, introducing a major shift in how the quality, impact, and accountability of academic research are measured across the country.
The policy model has been developed to establish a transparent and globally compatible system for evaluating the quality, environment, and real-world influence of scholarly work conducted in higher education institutions.
The framework’s completion followed a five-day consultative workshop organised by the HEC in partnership with the British Council Pakistan. The sessions involved senior leadership from both organisations, academic stakeholders, and an international advisory team of four technical experts from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.
Consultations included intensive discussions, stakeholder roundtables, and field visits to assess institutional readiness. Key areas of focus were governance structures, assessment design, ethical guidelines, operational processes, and funding models to ensure the framework aligns with international best practices and national priorities.
Early sessions established the governance and decision-making architecture for the REF, including institutional arrangements for its piloting and phased national implementation. Subsequent discussions covered the assessment and oversight mechanism, focusing on three core dimensions: research outputs, research environment, and societal impact.
In closing remarks, officials from the HEC and British Council, alongside the UK experts, stated the REF is expected to transform Pakistan’s research ecosystem. They described its finalisation as a significant step towards aligning the nation’s research system with global standards and maximising the societal and economic benefits of publicly funded academic inquiry.
The framework will now undergo a pilot phase, the outcomes of which will inform refinements before a full-scale national roll-out. The initiative is a result of the collaboration between the HEC and the British Council under the Pak-UK Education Gateway.